Ystaffelloedd //Rooms. Caerdydd // Cardiff. Staying regularly in other people’s houses

Going through the front door the stairs are ahead, to the left; with a passage beside them leading to rooms in the middle and rear of the house. At the top of the first flight of stairs on the lower landing is a corridor to a door directly in front; to the right at a diagonal is the door to the toilet and bathroom. Turning right round is the second, short flight of stairs to the second landing. Ahead is a door. To the left a door. This opens into the corner of a small size room. Immediately to the right is the back wall. On the side wall ahead is an alcove. In the alcove is a wardrobe. To the left of the alcove is an original fireplace. There is a mantel piece. To the left is an alcove with shelves across it. There are books on the shelves. On the outside wall there is a window. Then there is a bed, with the head on the outside wall, along the side wall [with the door in it].

Going through the front door the stairs are ahead, to the left; with a passage beside them leading to rooms in the middle and rear of the house. At the top of the first flight of stairs on the lower landing is a corridor to a door directly in front; to the right at a diagonal is the door to the toilet and bathroom. Turning right round is the second, short flight of stairs to the second landing. To the left a door. Ahead is a door. This opens into, nearly, the corner of a medium size room. Immediately to the right is a short length of wall and then a side wall with two floors to ceiling book cases. The front wall is nearly all windows, a small one to the right, a gap and a triple one. There is a low book shelf along part of the wall. To the left of the window, on the side wall, is an alcove with shelves across it. To the left of the alcove is an original fireplace. There is a mantel piece. To the left is an alcove with shelves across it. On the back wall [with the door in] is a radiator. An ironing board stands near it. In the middle of the room there is a blow up mattress.

Going through the front door the stairs are ahead, to the right; with a passage beside them leading to rooms in the middle and rear of the house. To the left is a door. This opens into a small room. Immediately to the right along the back wall is a chest of drawers. Then, on the side wall there is an alcove with a shelf across it with a two door cupboard below. To the left of the alcove is an original fireplace. There is a mantel piece with objects on it including children’s drawings & paintings, and an incense holder. To the left is an alcove with shelves across it. There are books on the shelves. On the outside wall there is a window. Diagonally across the alcove and the wall beside the window is a television with a DVD recorder below it. To the left of the window is a book shelf. On the side wall [with the door in] there is a sofa bed. Above the sofa bed is a very large photograph, mounted on aluminium, of a hand coming through a letter box.

Going through the front door the stairs are ahead, to the left; with a passage beside them leading to rooms in the middle and rear of the house. At the top of the first flight of stairs there is a door to the left and a door ahead. Turning right round is the second, short flight of stairs to the second landing. To the left is a door. Ahead and to the right is a door. To the right is a door. Turning right round is the third flight of stairs to the top landing. Ahead is a door. This opens into the rest of the landing. There is a door to the right. Ahead is the landing corridor turning to the right. To the left is a door. This opens into a small room. To the right of the door are two floor-to-ceiling shelves. There are fabric curtains across the shelves. To the left on the side wall is a very old desk. To the left is an alcove. Then along the front wall two windows. Along the rest of the front wall is a bed, with the head on the side wall. To the left on the side wall is an alcove. In the alcove is a modern desk. On the desk is a P.C. and small speakers. There is a chair facing the desk. On the back wall [with the door in] is a book shelf.

 

Ystaffelloedd //Rooms. Caerdydd // Cardiff. 1983 – 1985 & 1997 - 2000

Going through the front door the stairs are ahead, to the left; with a passage beside them leading to rooms in the middle and rear of the house. Along the wall to the right is a door. This opens in the top corner of a large room. Ahead is a wardrobe, on the back wall. Then a bed, with the head against the back wall.  The other side of the bed, on the side wall, there is an alcove. In the alcove is a bamboo book shelf filled with books and underneath it magazines. To the right of the alcove is a fireplace, with a gas fire fitted. There is a mantel piece with objects on it. Then there is an alcove. In the alcove is a white chest of drawers. There are items on the chest of drawers, including an ebony brush and mirror, a small glass cut powder jar with a green down puff and ebony lid and two large silver trophy cups. In the bay window, across the front of the room, is a metal legged table, a chair and an arm chair. Along the side wall [with the door in] is a sink with draining board, a small amount of surface then a Belling stove with 2 rings and an oven. A tiny fridge somewhere. The toilet and bathroom are at the top of the stairs.

Going through the front door the stairs are ahead, to the right; with a passage beside them leading to rooms in the middle and rear of the house, including the shared sitting room and kitchen – small. On the left wall is a door. This opens in the top corner of a medium size room. Immediately to the right along the back wall, is a bamboo book shelf filled with books and underneath it magazines. Many things are on top of it. Posters and postcards are on the wall above it. Next to the bookshelf is chair, with a curved, white back. Then a bed along the back wall, with the head at the other end; except sometimes it had its head against the back wall. Then, on the side wall there is an alcove with a shelf across it. I’m not sure what is on it, there is a poster in the alcove. To the left of the alcove is a fireplace with the chimney blocked off. In the space is a wooden box covered in black quilted plastic, made by my Uncle and Mother for me to keep sewing things in including fabric and patterns. Beside it is a record player and a large case with LPs, I don’t know what colour it is; and a small red one with singles. There is a mantel piece with objects on it. Above is a poster of a Dufy exhibition or a Mexican textiles exhibition. To the left is an alcove with a shelf across it. There is a collection of boxes on the shelf and under it. Above is a poster of a Dufy exhibition or a Mexican textiles exhibition. In the bay window, across the front of the room, is a small table. Along the side wall [with the door in] is a wardrobe, then a white chest of drawers. There are items on the chest of drawers, including an ebony brush and mirror and a small glass cut powder jar with a green down puff and ebony lid. The toilet and bathroom are to the top of the stairs, turn left and in the first door on the right wall.

Going through the front door the stairs are ahead, to the left; with a passage beside them leading to rooms in the middle and rear of the house. At the top of the first flight of stairs on the lower landing is a door directly in front, to the right at a diagonal is the door to the toilet and bathroom, a coin electric metre at the bottom left for heating up the hot water. Turning right round is the second, short flight of stairs to the second landing. To the left a door. Ahead is a door. This opens into the corner of a medium size room. Immediately to the right along the side wall, is a bamboo book shelf filled with books and underneath it magazines. Then a bed, along the wall, with the head against the window straight ahead on the front wall. In the bay window across the rest of the front wall is a wooden chest of drawers with legs. There are items on the chest of drawers; including bird skulls, a hand held slide viewer in a yellow box, reels of old grosgrain ribbon in brown and pale lilac and wooden cotton reels. On the side wall, there is an alcove. In the alcove is a white chest of drawers. There are items on the chest of drawers, including an ebony brush and mirror, a small glass cut powder jar with a green down puff and ebony lid. To the left of the alcove is a fireplace, with a gas fire fitted, which has no spark and requires a match to light it. There is a mantel piece with objects on it, including a small 1930s picture fame, with wood on base and half way up the sides, it contains a photo of my Nan and her two brothers, also a tiny cut out photo of a friend who now lives in the USA [it is discovered that in the house directly opposite are a married couple who are close friends of hers, who I met at her wedding in Dorset the day before Princess Diana died]. To the left is an alcove. On the back wall [with the door in] is a work surface with a sink and draining board, a microwave and one electric ring, with cupboards and a small fridge underneath. Finally between the fridge and the door is a large white wardrobe. On the wardrobe are a collection of post cards, old buttons on card in blue and green, and an old packet of razor blades in a blue packet wrapped in cellophane. In the middle of the room, facing the bay window is a small light weight sofa on legs. There are probably things under the sofa.

Going through the front door the stairs are ahead, to the left; with a passage beside them leading to rooms in the middle and rear of the house; including the shared sitting room and kitchen, then at the back a toilet. At the top of the first flight of stairs on the lower landing is a door directly in front. Turning right round is the second, short flight of stairs to the second landing. To the left a door. Ahead is a door. This opens into, nearly, the corner of a medium size room. Immediately to the right is a short length of wall and then a side wall, with a desk maybe a book shelf. The front wall is nearly all windows, a small one to the right, a gap and a triple one. To the left of the window, on the side wall, is an alcove with shelves across it. To the left of the alcove is an original fireplace. There is a mantel piece. To the left is an alcove with shelves across it. There is a mattress on the floor, either with the head to the right hand side of the triple window, or on the back wall [with the door in] close to the alcove. Somewhere are a small 1930s picture fame, with wood on base and half way up the sides, it contains a photo of my Nan and her two brothers, also a tiny cut out photo of a friend who now lives in the USA, bird skulls, a hand held slide viewer in a yellow box, an ebony brush and mirror, a small glass cut powder jar with a green down puff and ebony lid. Some of the furniture contains things that belong to the landlord. There are many things I can’t remember.